Pieces Solving a Puzzle Together

Spoilers:All seasons...

Disclaimer: I only own the characters that Marvel doesn't already own.

14 Months Post SHIELD-Inhuman Peace Treaty - Living Area - Inhuman Habitat, Location Unknown - Upstate New York

It'd been a week since they'd implemented her mother's lockdown quarantine and Skye finally gave the order for her to be released. Although her mother would be required to wear a tracking bracelet, she couldn't order mandatory protein suppressants as her mother's gift is what kept the woman alive. So with tight restrictions on where she could go, Jiaying was allowed among the population of the habitat. Her bracelet stopping her movements and sticking her to a security pad if she moved somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. Skye found that SHIELD's technique for security was actually beneficial and she adapted the technology.

"Okay…guys listen up!" Skye commanded the room as her central team and family crowded into the first floor living area. She paused only when she saw her mother lurking in the doorway, "Why don't you join us."

Jiaying was silent as she sat on the couch beside Lincoln and Mari, Lincoln smiled at her before relaxing back against the cushions. The twins seemed content to move to the floor, sitting cross-legged at attention. "Dude if you don't stop I'm going to kick your ass." Alisha hit Joey as the man threw a pillow at her.

"Guys!" Skye put her hands on her hips and they immediately stopped. "Thank you. As I saying, I have this month's kitchen rotation and duty assignments."

"Let Joey be in charge of the facilities for once!" Alisha stated taking the papers Skye handed her and passed them around.

"At least Joey isn't cooking." Mari stated as she looked at the paper in front of her. "All of our meals will be safe."

Joey shook his head, "why do I have greenhouse duty?"

"Because you've yet to do it maybe." Cora stated as she leaned over her girlfriend to flick him off as he did the same to her. "Maybe you can use the manual labor to stop antagonizing all of us."

Groans from the twins made Skye look down at them, "questions?"

"It's just, we had gym cleaning duty two months ago." Ellie whined, "I hate gym duty, all the towels smell weird."

"She could have given you Lauren's job!" Alisha chuckled as they turned to look at her. "Bathroom duty and the men's is horrible."

Both pretended to gag before looking back at the paper in their hands. Skye chuckled and looked back at the paper. "Mari, I assume the Monday-Wednesday-Friday dinner rotation makes you happy?"

"I love to be in the kitchen, almost as much as the Infirmary." She motioned to the sheet, "Thursday dinner is blank, free game or undecided assignment?"

Skye shrugged, "I'll be working late at HYDRA on Thursdays so I figured you all could fight amongst yourselves since I'll be unable to break up the arguments." She pointed at Alisha, "no killing anyone, some minor torture is okay."

"Hear that Joey." She pointed at him, "your blood is mine."

"If I don't split that pretty head first."

Alisha shook her head, "I'll tell every potential boyfriend here that you are infected with something if you don't stop."

"Of all the low blows you could go for…"

Skye shook her head, "okay guys, enough." She surveyed the room, "moving on to HYDRA business. That is related to Central Army One and Two, everyone else is free to do whatever they were doing before."

The twins left along with Lauren and Cora, the remaining people besides Jiaying got into their groups. Mari, Lincoln and Joey on one couch while Alisha, Bryce and Yo-Yo on the other.

"Okay, any general questions before we begin?" Skye sat down on one of the chairs and pulled her phone out.

"Timecards are due when?" Lincoln asked as he pulled out his phone as well.

"Tomorrow evening and speaking of time cards," Skye looked over at Mari. "HR needs your biometrics updated, we have your SHIELD credentials but they'll be out of date in two weeks."

Mari gave a nod, "I'll call them tomorrow to set up a meeting."

"Good." She looked back down at her phone. "This month's roster is a mix up because our hunt for Hand has left us needing whoever is necessary. Other than that, Central Army Two has this month's main mission roster though." She looked over at Lincoln and Mari, "I assume you are still working in the Infirmary since Dr. Patel is going back to India for a month to visit family?"

"We're handling the seven off shift." Lincoln gave her a nod, "Ward managed to secure an apartment for us in the same complex as your private residence. We'll stay there so we don't have to make the daily trips by quinjet. He's including it as part of our employment package."

Skye nodded, "yeah, I suggested it was either that or we let you guys use our place."

Mari gave a soft chuckle, "he doesn't like his space invaded."

"I know and I live with the guy." Skye flicked through her phone. "Okay that concludes business, if you're called up individually then note hours after safe arrival back and we'll add it as a bonus to your contract salary."

Everyone left the room and so only Jiaying and Skye remained. She put up her phone and waited for her mother to speak. Jiaying seemed to quietly watch her, analyzing her almost for something she wasn't completely sure of. Finally, the woman spoke softly and Skye listened.

"You have them using their gifts recklessly to aid in your goals." Jiaying shook her head softly, "Daisy they could harm someone."

"I think you underestimate our system and how well I guide newborns." Skye shook her head, "you've been healing for a long time and in that time the world has changed. Afterlife is gone, this place is our sanctuary and we're thriving here."

Jiaying sat down and stared at her daughter, "Daisy you have done wonderful but this life is a devotion, your focus must be solely on guiding. You can't do that with everything else happening around you."

Skye gave a soft sigh as she smiled, "nothing will ever be what it was, life is change and progression happens. I made a mistake when stopping you, I'm responsible for all these people because of what I did when I pushed those crystals into the ocean. I'm owning that, accepting responsibility Mom. I'm not you or the leaders that came before but I'm succeeding and unlike you, guiding people has left us with nearly saving everyone. Only two newborns have had to be neutralized due to the threat they pose, because they won't change their ways. How many out of a group in a generation were you forced to neutralize? Too many, I have the records so I know."

"Daisy…"

"No, you don't get to critique me when you don't even know how we work. You think because we're in this place instead of Afterlife that I've changed everything." Skye stood up and shook her head, "why don't you learn before you accuse someone."

Both turned their heads when they heard loud shrieks, Ward emerged from the hallway with Ellie over his shoulder and Davie pulling on his arm. He twisted his arm and Davie landed on a couch, laughing as he did so. Ellie beat on her father's back, demanding to be put down. Skye let a smile go as she saw Ward drop Ellie beside her brother before tickling her.

"I surrender!" Ellie stated as she laughed and Ward let her go. "That was fun, can we do it again."

"I think you've worn me out for the day." Ward chuckled and looked down at her, "why don't you go see if Kelly wants to spar."

Davie was up and to the hallway leading to the stairwell that would take them to the gym. "Come on Ellie, last one there is a rotten egg!"

"I'll show you David Johnson, I'm no rotten egg!" She jumped over the couch and ran after him.

Ward smiled before his face turned neutral, Skye knew that face so she held out her hand. His eyes flitted to Jiaying for a moment before taking Skye's hand and leaning down to kiss her as she pulled him close. Pulling back, he looked at her as if she was his entire universe and Skye grinned up at him.

"Hey, how was work?" She ran her hands down his sides, the leather of his jacket soft under her fingers.

He shifted his head slightly, "remind Jamison when you see him again that he needs to propose, he's been putting it off for months."

"Hmm and speaking of proposing, did you give him that raise I approved so he can get the ring he wanted?"

"Two months ago and he bought the ring." Ward rested his hands at her waist, "how did roster assignments go?"

Skye grinned, "Joey is now off meal rotation but I think Thursday nights maybe bloodier since Alisha is threatening his life."

"The woman's smart, he's annoying."

"True but he wasn't this annoying when I took him in." Skye pulled back and narrowed her eyes at a spot on his jacket, "why is there blood on your jacket?"

Ward shrugged, "few of Hand's agents tried to get a drop on me at lunch, it being public venue I decided to use my fists instead of gifts."

"Whose blood is it?"

"I think you know me well enough to know the answer to that." He leaned down and kissed her, pulling away as he moved to leave the room. "Don't worry, they're still alive."

"Oh and I suppose that's only to avoid a lecture from me?"

Ward grinned, "I don't think anyone here wants to deal with one of your lectures, I know my office still hasn't recovered from some of them."

"Our office and half of that is you asshole." He chuckled as he left the room, Skye shook her head as she let a small smile go.

Jiaying cleared her throat and Skye turned to look at her, her mother gave a soft smile. "He looks at you as if you are his entire world."

"Because I am the center of his universe." Skye shook her head with a soft smile on her face, "but then again that's what genetic matches are supposed to feel. We need each other to live, breath and exist. The pain I felt without him, the emptiness of a world without him made me want to destroy everyone before killing myself." She looked up at her mother, "the curse of the genetic match."

"Finding genetic matches is a task the elders see to, did Judy find yours?"

Skye smiled, "no, we found each other when we were still human. We didn't know it at the time, we didn't know it till almost two years ago but I knew I loved him when I was human and even after transition. You wouldn't understand everything we've been through but throughout it all, we never stopped loving each other."

"Finding your match naturally is rare, your children likely exhibit the best of your humanity." She gave a nod before stepping forward again, "when do I get to meet them, my grandchildren?"

"When we both deem you no longer a danger." Skye tilted her head slightly, "what do you mean the best of our humanity?"

"Genetic matches only produce children with potential, they are not actively gifted. The last that was born gifted was too dangerous, he was banished…"

"I know the story." Skye shook her head, "but don't you remember what Judy told you when I was born?"

Jiaying smiled, "Daisy there is little I remember from the days before you were taken. Daniel Whitehall stole memories from me just as he stole parts of me."

"I'm sorry." She sighed and sat down, "my daughter was born gifted, in fact according to Lincoln she is entirely Inhuman, no active human genes like us. We retain some after our transition but she doesn't have any."

"Daisy the danger…"

Skye gave a soft huff, "she's not dangerous, why would you think that?"

"Not now but one day she will be, the power within her will corrupt her and turn her against everyone."

Anger rose within Skye and she stood up, "you don't know my daughter and you don't know her future. Unlike you, I plan to guide my daughter instead of use her to further my plans." With that Skye left her mother alone to think.

Same Day - Evening - Skye and Ward's Bunk - Inhuman Habitat, Location Unknown - Upstate New York

It was evening before Ward saw his wife but he found her in their bunk leaning over Callie playing with her. The four month old was all giggles and a bundle of joy, he sat beside them after shedding his jacket and boots. Skye continued to dangle the toy over Callie while her free hand reached out to him. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles before holding it in his lap.

"She's just so happy today." Skye looked up at him as Callie grabbed the toy and became invested in it. "It's infectious, I was upset from the talk with my mom but as soon as I held her it was gone."

Ward reached out with his free hand and caught their daughter's hand, her head turning towards him. "I think that's all you in her, you've always found a way to make anyone smile without even trying." He leaned down to kiss his daughter's head, watching as she rolled towards him until she was on her belly. "I see you've mastered rolling over Callie Rose, you need to stop there so you don't crawl off and we can't find you."

Nonsense came from the baby as she gurgled and continued playing with her toy. Skye chuckled and leaned her head against her husband's arm. "She's so strong, she gets that from you and I have no idea where the intelligence come from. I mean, you and I are not as smart as she seems to be, or possibly will be."

"Something you want to tell me?" He joked as he nuzzled her neck, Skye laughed before turning her head to kiss him.

"I love you and I really liked that you didn't care that my mother was in the room when you kissed me."

Ward kissed her a second time, "I'll kiss you whenever I like, given that you aren't angry at me."

"Babe, I'm always angry with you about something." She grinned softly before resting her head on his shoulder. "She said you look at me as if I'm your world. I told her I was the center of your universe."

"Close enough, I think of you and the kids as a quaternary star system, with me rotating around all four suns at once. If one of you is lost it throws everything rotating around you off balance, me included." He watched as Callie looked around, her face screwing slightly so he picked her up instantly. "It's okay Callie Rose, Daddy has you."

She curled up against his chest and Skye snorted softly, "you spoil her."

"I do not, at least not yet."

"My mother wants to see the kids, she wants to meet her grandchildren." Skye pulled back to look at him, to meet his eyes. "She also said Callie was dangerous, that her untapped power will lead her to turn against us one day. I told her she didn't know our daughter or her future."

Ward stood up and walked around the room, gently rubbing Callie's back to get her to fall asleep in his arms. "She isn't ever going to be alone with our children, one of us will be there at all times. As for Callie Rose, if she so much as touches her then I will burn her alive. I don't care if she's your mother Skye."

Skye stood up and walked to him, resting her hand on his arm. "If she endangers any of the kids I'll put her back in lockdown. This is a second chance for her, I only hope she takes it."

A/N: I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you celebrated (if you celebrated one).

Next: Hand makes a move in public...

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